Facilitating mechanical transfer of stitches from the needles of



L. N. D. WILLIAMS.

FACILITATING MECHANICAL TRANSFER OF STITCHES FROM THE NEEDLES 0F KNITTING MACHINES APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5. I9IZ.

Tm! COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

Patented July 8, 1919.

NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

tours N. n; WILLIAMS, or oeoNrz, PENNSYLVANIA.

FACILITATING MECHANICAL TRANSFER OF STITGHES FROM THE NEEDLES OF KNITTING-MACHINES.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed February 15, 1917. Serial No. 148,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS N. D. VILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogontz, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Facilitating Mechanical Transfer of Stitches from the Needles of Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

The object of my invention is to facilitate the mechanical transfer of the stitches from the needles of a knitting machine after the completion of a toe pocket or other fashioned web thereon by reciprocating knitting.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toe end of a stocking blank of the type to which my invention relates before the stitches around the upper edge of the toe pocket have been united to those around the instep portion of the foot web, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing, by full lines, the stitches around the mouth of the toe pocket as produced in the ordinary manner, and, by dotted lines, my addition thereto.

In knitting so-called seamless stockings the needles around one-half of the cylinder of the machine are, upon the completion of the foot web, put out of action but permitted to retain their stitches and the production of the toe pocket by reciprocating knitting upon the needles around the other half of the machine is then proceeded with, needle after needle first at one end and then at the opposite end of the set being successively put out of action but permitted to retain its stitch until the web has been narrowed to the desired extent, and these needles being then successively restored to action in reverse order so as to gradually widen the web again, and unite the stitches at the edges of the widened web to those at the edges of the narrowed web.

Where the direction of travel of the knitting yarn is reversed in reciprocating knitting, however, it forms a selvage stitch at the end of said course, With the result that when the final course is completed such stitch is emailed by; the

one end of the semi-circular set upon which the toe pocket was knitted.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, 1 represents this selvage stitch of the final course, 2 the stitches at the front end of the sole portion of the foot web, in continuation of which the toe pocket was knitted, and 3 the stitches at the front end of the instep portion of the foot web.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, both of the sinker wales of the selvage stitch 1 of the final course are drawn in the same direction through the engaging loop of the previous course, consequently, when this stitch is produced, both sides of it are caused to cling closely to the needle which produces it and, as a result, the stitch hugs the needle so tightly that it is diflicult if not impossible to properly introduce a transfer point into the stitch for the purpose of removing it from the needle.

This objection it is the aim of my invention to overcome, and in doing so I proceed in the following manner:

' After the completion of the toe pocket upon the needles around one half of the ma.- chine I put into action the needles around the other half of the machine which carry the stitches 3 around the front end of the instep portion of the foot web and then form one or more complete courses of full stitches (as distinguished from selvage stitches) upon all of the needles of the machine. In Fig. 2 one such course of full stitches is shown at 4. The stitches upon all of the needles are therefore alike and no difficulty will be experienced in inserting the transfer points 5 into any of the stitches.

After one half of the stitches 4 have, by means of the transfer points, been doubled with the remaining half of the same, said stitches may be united as usual by means of a separately produced course of stitches, so as to close the toe of the stocking.

Although I have shown and described my invention as applied to the terminal stitches of the fashioned toe pocket of a stocking, it may, as will be evident, be applied to the reciprotaitad terminal ceases any either in a stocking or othe garment, Which ing of adding thereto a complete course of Web has to be transferred by mechanical stitches produced by circular kn1tt1ng,wh1ch 10 means. stitches are adapted for the reception of I clalm: transfer points. The mode herein described of preparing In testimony whereof I have signed my for transfer the edge of a knitted Web proname to this specification, duced partly by circular knitting and partly by reciprocating knitting, said mode consist- LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

